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Faceless
The Faceless are the elite warriors of the Zelfolk, a group that has existed long before founding of the great cities of the desert. They are noted by their distinctive appearance of ragged cloth and worn armour that obscures their faces. History Founding The Faceless' origin is a long forgotten secret to all but the oldest of members and is something seldom shared with younger members. It is commonly believed that the Faceless pre-date the Zelfolk, though the two have been intertwined as far as the records of the settled folk of the desert can recall. Whether they were originally a human order is up for debate, certainly now they accept any and all, though it would appear the decision to allow an initiate to enter the order is up to individual Faceless. Role in the Zels The Faceless act as the elite warriors of Zelfolk society, able to deal with threats that are posed against them as a whole, sometimes acting independently and other times acting under the authority of another body, such as in Zel'bidaal where the Magistrates there will often have a number of the order working for them. Every Zel will have a population of Faceless living within it, using it mainly as a base of operation as they range out into the desert, accompanying caravans for as long as they can until they need to depart on whatever hidden quest they are on. The Faceless are among the most respected, if not the ''most respected, people in Zelfolk society. With their advice and abilities constantly sought by all. To cross one is to insult all of the Zelfolk and if word spread you would not be welcomed in the houses of those that view them in high regard. They do not work for gold nor pleasure, though some do except gifts and there are some large exceptions especially among those that work for the Magistrates of Zel'bidaal who live in luxury in the palaces of the city. Becoming a Faceless The exact rituals needed to become one of the Faceless is a closely guarded secret, with those that undertook it always disappearing presumably becoming one of the order, though their name is forsaken as part of the ritual and their faces obscured. Most leave their homes and travel with the one that initiated them learning from them, though in the order all Faceless are equal and none are bound to follow the orders of any other. Initial Contact Contacting any member of the Faceless is the first start in becoming one, requesting to meet with them will result in them watching you either openly or discreetly, it is down to the individual tasked with the mission, seeing what your abilities are and whether you possess the correct temperament in their opinion. Proving Yourself Often if the Faceless sent to watch you approves of your admittance they will provide you with a task to complete, a final proof of your abilities and willingness to devote yourself to the lifestyle. Sometimes initiates are given the rituals without this task being put upon them, though this would be an extreme case where the initiate's abilities are evident enough from the Faceless' observations. The Rituals What little is known about the rituals needed to become a Faceless comes from the notations of the Cultural Considerer of Telinor's writings on the topic: "''I asked the lad why he wanted to join this order, to forget his name and renounce his claim on his father's land (a quite sizeable holding for the desert folk), only for them to wrap a cloth around his head and tell him he was now 'faceless'. The young lad looked at me like I had just insulted his mother's shellfish, 'Ser Elf, to join the numbers of the Faceless is to be a part of the land, I will not need to own this (he collected a fistful of sand), for I shall be one with it.', the lad then strode off with the fellow wrapped in rags into the desert. My efforts to collect a list of the materials the lad and the fellow had to gather for this ritual were as follows: desert flowers of various forms (several of which were unknown to my references), a cask of oil, candles of half an arms' length (who's arm I am unsure) and a dagger. It should be noted that this list however contradicts with other I have encountered in the region. I suspect that these 'Faceless' either produce such contradictory evidence or, far more likely, there is no one ritual for this initiation and they simply perform whatever appears mystical to the one they are indoctrinating. Making them provide the magic as it were." Rulings Faceless Prestige Class Hit Die '''d10 Requirements To qualify to become one of the Faceless, a character must fulfill all the following criteria. '''Base Attack Bonus: +5 Skills: Survival 5 Ranks, Stealth 2 Ranks, Knowledge (Nature) 2 Ranks. Class Features: Favoured Terrain Class Feature (Desert) Alignment 'Any To have undertaken the rituals to become a Faceless by another member of the order. Class Skills A Faceless' class skills are Heal (Wis), Perception (Wis), Stealth (Dex) and Survival (Wis). Skill Ranks at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier. Ways of the Facless ''You have become one of the Faceless and the mysteries of the desert have awoken within you, allowing you to manipulate its power in your favour and call upon it for aid. At 1st level you gain the domain abilities of a druid of the Desert domain. For the purposes of these abilities treat your total level as your druid level. '''Heat Shimmer (Su): As a free action, you can surround yourself with heat distortion that acts as the blur spell. Creatures that strike you in melee while you’re using this ability are dazzled for 1 round (Fortitude negates). You may use this ability for a number of rounds per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier. These rounds need not be consecutive Servant of the Sands (Sp): At 8th level, once per day, you may call upon the aid of a janni as if using lesser planar ally. At 12th level, you may call upon the aid of any type of common (non-noble) genies as if using planar ally. At 16th level, you may call upon the aid of a noble genie as if using greater planar ally. If you use this power while in desert terrain, you need not make an offering to call the creature(s), and the cost of any service is halved. Spell-Like Abilities The innate magic of the desert has entered your body through the ritual you underwent to become a Faceless, as you come to understand what you have become your powers seem to grow. A Faceless gains the ability to cast the following as spell-like abilities and can be cast once per day: 1st—cloak of shade 2nd—shifting sand 3rd—cup of dust 4th—hallucinatory terrain 5th—transmute rock to mud (creates loose sand instead of mud) 6th—sirocco 7th—sunbeam 8th—sunburst 9th—horrid wilting Eyes of the Desert You have begun to understand more of the ritual that was performed upon you and it has affected how you see the world. At 3rd level, add your Faceless class level to Perception and Survival Checks. In addition, you gain the ability to shift your eyes into darkvision (120ft) as a swift action for a number of rounds per day equal to your Wisdom Modifier. The Sands Must Flow At 4th level, a Faceless gains the ability to travel between sand as if by means of a dimension door spell. The limitation is that the magical transport must begin and end in an area with at least some sand. A Faceless can jump up to a total of 40 feet each day in this way; this may be a single jump of 40 feet or four jumps of 10 feet each. Every two levels higher than 4th, the distance a Faceless can jump each day doubles (80 feet at 6th, 160 feet at 8th, and 320 feet at 10th). This amount can be split among many jumps, but each one, no matter how small, counts as a 10-foot increment. Sift Through the Dust You have become adept at keeping your identity a secret through your constant obscuring of your face. At 5th level, add your Faceless class level to Stealth and Disguise Checks. In addition you may take 10 on rolls to hide or otherwise remain anonymous in any crowded area or settlement, if you are in a Zelfolk settlement you may take 20 instead. Walk Without Rhythm At 7th level as long as you are walking on sandy terrain you do not provoke attacks of opportunity for movement within or outside of squares threatened by enemies. The Worm that Wakes the World You realise the truth about your order and its origins, it coming to you suddenly in a rush of epiphany connecting your soul to the desert forever entwining its fate with yours, when you die your spirit will linger until the end of days protecting the sands of Vhir. In addition you become aware of the Worm, the great beast that lurks beneath the land you call home, an entity as old as the sands themselves, with a hunger that cannot be satiated. You gain the spell-like ability'' Category:HomerulesCategory:OrganisationsCategory:VhirSummon Elder Worm[https://sites.google.com/site/pathfinderogc/magic/all-spells/s/summon-elder-worm ''Summon Elder Worm], bringing forth the Great Worm once per day. The Worm can serve as a mount with specialised hooks and is able to carry over two hundred people.